Elevating neuroscience literacy and an approach for physiologists

The field of neuroscience has made notable strides that have contributed to progress and change in a number of academic pursuits. However, the lack of understanding of basic neuroscience concepts among the general public is likely to hinder, and in some instances possibly even prevent, the appropriate application of scientific advancements to issues facing society today. Greater neuroscience literacy among the general public is necessary for the benefits of neuroscientific discovery to be fully realized. By actively enhancing neuroscience literacy, scientists can dispel falsehoods established by early research that harmed underrepresented communities, ensure that public conversations concerning neuroscience (e.g., legalization of psychotropic substances) revolve around facts, and empower individuals to make better health decisions. The widespread implementation of communication technologies and various forms of media indicate there are numerous means to engage classroom learners across disciplines and age cohorts and the public to increase neuroscience knowledge. Thus, it is not only necessary but timely that neuroscientists seek meaningful ways to bridge the widening knowledge gap with the public.

Regional and temporal variations affect the accuracy of variant-specific SARS-CoV-2 PCR assays

Monitoring the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 variants is necessary to make informed public health decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. PCR assays have received global attention, facilitating rapid understanding of variant dynamics because they are more accessible and scalable than genome sequencing. However, as PCR assays target only a few mutations, their accuracy could be compromised when these mutations are not exclusive to target variants. Here we show how to design variant-specific PCR assays with high sensitivity and specificity across different geographical regions by incorporating sequences deposited in the GISAID database. Furthermore, we demonstrate that several previously developed PCR assays have decreased accuracy outside their study areas. We introduce PRIMES, an algorithm that enables the design of reliable PCR assays, as demonstrated in our experiments that enabled tracking of dominant SARS-CoV-2 variants in local sewage samples. Our findings will contribute to improving PCR assays for SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance.

Implementing living evidence to inform health decisions: A strategy for building capacity in health sector (Protocol)

Every day important healthcare decisions are made with incomplete or outdated information about the effects of the different health care interventions available, what delivers the best value for the health system and where more research is needed. It is necessary to invest in strategies that allow access to reliable and updated evidence on which to base health decisions. The objective is to develop and evaluate a strategy for building the capacity among different actors of a country’s health system to implement the model known as “Living Evidence” [LE] in the evidence synthesis and dissemination of knowledge transfer [KT] products to inform health decisions. The study will involve professional members of health system organizations in charge of developing KT-products to inform health decisions. The project will be developed in three complementary phases: 1) LE-implementation framework development through review of the literature, brainstorming meetings, user testing and expert consultation; 2) training in LE tools and strategies; 3) developing LE synthesis for KT-products by applying the framework to real-life diverse situations. To achieve the capacity building strategy assessment goal, several surveys and interviews will take place during the process to assess: 1) the LE-implementation framework for the incorporation of LE synthesis in the development of KT-products; 2) the training workshops; 3) the whole capacity-building strategy used for health system organizations be able of implementing the LE as part of the KT-products they regularly produce. The expected results are an effective capacity building strategy for health system organizations to implement the living evidence model in different KT products; a LE-implementation framework to be applicable to any country or region for incorporate LE in the KT-products; LE synthesis for KT-products directly applicable to the real-setting situations; integration of Epistemonikos-L.OVE platform for keeping the LE process in the development and updating of KT-products.

eHealth Literacy of 2-Year and 4-Year College Students: Implications for Health Education in a Post-Truth Era

The COVID-19 pandemic and simultaneous “infodemic” have amplified the need for electronic health (eHealth) literacy, one’s ability to find, evaluate, and apply online health information to make health decisions. To date, only a few studies have examined eHealth literacy among U.S. college students. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the eHealth literacy of students attending 4-year and 2-year colleges in the Pacific Northwest. A purposeful sample of 781 college students enrolled in nonhealth- and health-related programs completed an electronic version of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Descriptive, bivariate, and logistical regression were used in the data analyses. Results showed that while there were no significant differences in composite scores by the demographic variables explored, differences on individual eHEALS items emerged between 2-year and 4-year college students, by the first-generation status, and by gender. First-generation students’ mean scores were lower in all areas of eHealth literacy when compared with non-first-generation students. Chi-square tests revealed significant differences in first-generation students’ perceived ability to know how (χ2 = 5.4, p = .020) and where (χ2 = 6.7, p = .010) to find health resources on the internet, as well as how to tell high-quality from low-quality health resources (χ2 = 5.0, p = .025). Students who identified as male were more likely than females to agree that they are “confident in using information from the internet to make health decisions” ( p = .028). Our findings underscore the need to strengthen higher education curricula and pedagogy to improve students’ eHealth literacy.

COVID-19 and Dispositions of the Chilean Healthcare System: Sociomedical Networks in Care Decisions of Chronic Illnesses

This article is an empirical work on decision-making processes in the case of persons with chronic illnesses in the COVID19 pandemic context, regarding their medical care and self-care. Medical decisions are processes that guide the production of a health diagnosis or treatment, using the available information, where the patients’ preferences are often incorporated. This article tackles the impact of the pandemic on chronically ill patients’ medical decisions when the care system has been significantly altered by it. Considering that health decisions are importantly embedded in social and economic conditions, the pandemic affects a precarious care system and constrains individual possibilities. Chile has a weak support infrastructure for caregivers and a health care system that promotes private health and a low-quality public health system. Hence, the pandemic is an adverse context for chronically ill patients and it alters the conditions in which medical decisions are taken. We performed 10 interviews with chronically ill patients who took responsibility for their own health decisions: five patients diagnosed with common chronic diseases and five patients diagnosed with rare chronic diseases. After Reflexive Thematic Analysis, the results show that the Chilean health system is extremely precarious and that not many alternatives are or have been offered to chronically ill patients in the COVID19 context.